


Of Tears and Unicorns

by Killjoy013



Category: Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Blurb, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Jojo's fucking ten years old, Night Terrors, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:22:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22871668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killjoy013/pseuds/Killjoy013
Summary: Jojo has nightmares.Elsa comforts him even the future is unclear.Short Hurt/Comfort
Relationships: Jojo Betzler & Elsa Korr
Comments: 9
Kudos: 98





	Of Tears and Unicorns

Jojo woke up screaming, blindly swiping at the air with his knife. The lingering sight of cold hard blue eyes boring into his soul and blood gushing out of a gunshot wound still in his mind. He can hear the creak of a rope and the ranting of madmen crowding his senses.

"No!"

"Jojo, it's me-"

"Fuck off! Leave me alone. You're dead. Dead!"

"Jojo, stop, you'll hurt-"

"I'm not a Nazi. I'm not!"

Strong but small hands grab his wrists and pin them against the headboard. The knife clatters to the floor. Jojo's panting and crying and struggling against the grip.

"Jojo, open your eyes. It's me, Elsa."

Jojo slams his head against the wooden board in response. He can hear it all over again. The screaming, the crying, the gunshots, god, the explosions. Jojo's eyes are screwed shut but he can still see the blood and the bodies. The-the shoes. Dirty. One untied. 

Free Germany.

Fuck Germany. Fuck everyone. Fuck his dad for going out and fighting and never coming back. Fuck his mom for being a good person and getting herself killed. Fuck every soldier and man who started the war. Fuck the war. Fuck. Fuck it all. Damn it all to hell. Damn that butterfly and those shoes. 

Jojo screams, high and shrill like a rabbit before it gets the boot. So high and shrill his voice cracks half-way and break into a wail. 

The hands release him and arms, lanky arm, envelope him tight like he'll fall apart. He cries into the shoulder of a Jew his mother died for. He sobs for his mother. 

"Why? Why, _why_..." He whimpers. 

Why her? Why him? Why them? Why, _why why,_ **_why why_**. 

"I don't know, Jojo." Elsa's still holding him like he's a person and not just a bundle of nightmares and scars. Like he deserves this embrace. 

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I called you all those things. I'm sorry I have nightmares and wake up screaming in the night. I don't deserve it. I don't deserve it, any of it."

"I know you're sorry, Jojo. I forgive you." She sighs as her hands run through his hair. Fingertips graze his scars and he flinches but doesn't dare pull away. 

"I wish our parents were alive." He chokes out, trying to will it in the air. That they'll come in the door and make dinner and be all one big extended family. 

"Me too. But we can't go back."

No, they can't. 

Jojo wants it all to be another imaginary daydream he has and wake up to his mother dancing and calling him her little boy. Jojo doesn't even want his father. He wants his mother back so much he could cry and cry until he becomes tears. He'd trade a million soldiers, a million Hitlers, a _billion_ Reichs for her back. He wants to scream, demand it's not fair. But Elsa already knows that. 

He opens his eyes and lets the tears fall freely. Elsa won't judge him.

"Will it ever stop hurting?" He says instead.

"No-"

"Then what's the point?"

"Let me finish. It won't stop hurting. But it will hurt less and less. Until that hole isn't as big as it is now. You have me. I'll take care of you. It's only right...only fair."

"Nothing's fair." 

"Life's not fair. I can be fair. We can be fair." 

Jojo sniffles into her shoulders. 

"I hope you're right." 

"Me too."

Elsa goes to pull back but Jojo shakes his head and pulls her close.

"St-stay? I can take care of you too?"

The _it's only fair is_ unspoken but heard nonetheless. 

Elsa sighs but throws the covers over them. Jojo leans over to retrieve the knife to put it back under his pillow but his hand wavers. Elsa's hand softly uncurls his fist and she takes the knife. She puts it on her side of the bed. 

"Sleep, Jojo. Relax."

Jojo melts in her arms, tears dried on his pale chubby cheeks. Being held like this...

He feels like a kid for the first time in a long time.

Elsa hums a song under her breath that eases him to sleep. 

He dreams of unicorns, breathing and free and running through meadows. He and Elsa are running after them. He catches a glimpse of red shoes that one of the unicorn riders are wearing. Pristine and tied. A familiar laugh sends warmth through him like a hug. A rabbit stares up at him with bright blue eyes before it scampers away.

He smiles in his sleep. 

**Author's Note:**

> Remember to comment and like if you like or didn't like!  
> Have a good day and be good people. x  
> \- KJ


End file.
